International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Jan 2013
Review Meta AnalysisNeutrophil CD64 expression as a biomarker in the early diagnosis of bacterial infection: a meta-analysis.
Neutrophil CD64 expression is widely reported as an efficacious biomarker to differentiate infected patients from other non-infected patients. This meta-analysis was conducted to comprehensively and quantitatively summarize the accuracy of neutrophil CD64 in the early diagnosis of bacterial infection. ⋯ On the basis of our meta-analysis, neutrophil CD64 expression could be a promising and meaningful biomarker for diagnosing bacterial infection. Nevertheless, more large prospective studies should be carried out before the neutrophil CD64 test is used widely in the clinical setting because of the various cut-off values.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisIs primary prevention of Clostridium difficile infection possible with specific probiotics?
The efficacy of probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is highly controversial, particularly with regard to the prevention of recurrent CDI. We hypothesize that primary prevention of CDI among patients receiving antibiotics might be a more achievable goal for probiotics than prevention in patients with previous CDI where the host flora is markedly altered. ⋯ While potential flaws in study design were identified, a review of the available literature suggests that the primary prevention of CDI with specific probiotic agents may be achievable. Additional studies of sufficient size and with rigorous design are needed to confirm these findings.
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Int. J. Infect. Dis. · Mar 2011
Review Meta AnalysisFluoroquinolones are associated with delayed treatment and resistance in tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Current guidelines for treating community-acquired pneumonia recommend the use of fluoroquinolones for high-risk patients. Previous studies have reported controversial results as to whether fluoroquinolones are associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and the development of fluoroquinolone-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify these issues. ⋯ Empirical fluoroquinolone prescriptions for pneumonia are associated with longer delays in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB and a higher risk of developing fluoroquinolone-resistant M. tuberculosis.